Afternoon people

Papa and his tumbuna sitting under a tree watching people going home

Twenty lessons learned

 Below are some lessons I have learnt over the past years while being here at DWU.

1.       Always prepare yourself for each class. Students expect you to be prepared to deliver the lesson so go through the actual lesson plan before you teach

2.       Don’t patronize the students – they are far too intelligent for you

3.       Be kind always – yes always. This might be the very first time a student approaches you or asks a question in class. Your answer will determine their response to you for the whole semester

4.       Be punctual. Always be there in front of the class ready to go. Your early presence tells them you have something important to teach today

5.       Praise students publically – it lifts their spirits and encourages enthusiasm

6.       Never use a permanent marker on the whiteboard – it just makes you look like a fool

7.       Never turn your back to the class and read off the slides – it makes you look like you are talking to the whiteboard rather than to the students.

8.       Don’t forget your flash drive after teaching or powerpoint presentation – this is a major no no.

9.       Alot doesn’t mean great. A really good lecture doesn’t necessarily mean a PowerPoint presentation of 30 slides or more – even two slides can last an hour if you really break it down through questions, discussion and case scenarios and then the student will understand the content better.

10.   If you are late for class, apologise to the students

11.   Bad breath is a killer!

12.   Sarcasm is a great tool – only if you use it at the right time.

13.   The only way students can really learn about a topic is for them to talk about it in class. For them to do that, they need to do research first…and this means reading!

14.   Bloom’s taxonomy is the ideal reference point for student learning and teacher teaching

15.   Class attendance can mean class attitude – a full class shows there is expectation to learn.

16.   Semester marks, sometimes, isn’t a true reflection of a student’s academic ability.

17.    Even if you’ve tried your very best, you can NEVER please all the students in the class. Some will love your class while others are there for the marks only!

18.    Some students just don’t want to be here. They are so lazy and take for granted the opportunity to study in a university.

19.   Facebook is seriously a bad distraction for students in the classroom and outside.

20.   Some students come from tough, violent backgrounds, poor families and lonely homes but they attack school work like busy bees scoring high marks each semester. Some students come from privileged homes and well off families and score low marks at the bottom of the class...

So that's it. There are many more things that I have observed, experienced and dealt with as a teacher and I may write about them later on.

Cheers! 

Why arent PNG Journalists confrontational?

Why aren’t Journalists in PNG confrontational? I am affirming that ‘confrontational’ here means to ‘stand up’ or ‘speak out’ and ask the hard questions to those who are responsible for the masses in terms of health, education, welfare, ICT etc.  While there may be a variety of reasons and some people will have even more stronger, valid points than I may make here, in my opinion, I believe that the ability of a journalist to be ‘confrontational’ is hampered by news media organizations in the country who employ journalists.

1. Lack of support by news organisations -  I am of the belief that we as journalists in PNG have very little to be confrontational about since we have not shown that we are prepared for hard work. When was the last time, a news organisation put effort, resources and sought professional and technical advice to investigate a story? When have we seen a step by step investigative story uncovering facts and intelligent writing? The story of budget cuts and not enough resources have been excuses that impede us as journalist to take longer, deeper meaningful research into an issue. Entertainment news has taken over the issue based news because it is easier to write and takes much less time to produce. How often do we see a follow up of a story six months after an event happened? We never got to hear what happened to the outbreak of Cholera in remote area of Morobe Province six months later after everyone closed up and went away. Then we had a similar outbreak in NCD some months later. Which news organisation wants to send a reporter to visit this remote part of Morobe, then ask the hard questions to WHO, Morobe Provincial Government and minister for Health, study the epidemiology of Cholera, trace the origins of Cholera in PNG, find the associations between susceptibility and transmission? All this finding and exploring takes time and financial resources – something news organisations profess not to have. Iam of the opinion that if news organisations or journalists are to be foundations of the fourth estate, then time and financial resources must be devoted to investigate stories and seek to uncover facts and figures that influence issues. News organisations must be prepared to fund journalists to travel, do research and help write intelligently and produce news stories.

2. Keeping journalists in news media. - Iam also of the belief that journalists who possess the passion and the drive to take on investigative journalism, are not being rewarded or justifiably commensurated financially by news organisations. This, I believe is not only found in PNG but evident throughout the Pacific.  Many who start off in the field of journalism as general news reporters, who then take specialist fields such as business, HIV/AIDS, politics, agriculture, mining, carbon fuels, information technology, sports etc don’t usually stay in that news area for long. This is because as they become more experienced, more knowledgeable of the subject area and write accurately, they are more often than not, subject to be coaxed into leaving the news organizations for ‘greener pastures’. This mostly include higher salary, housing, travel, allowances and better working hours, all of which better than those provided by media organizations. They then become public relations officers, community media officers or even journalists in that organisation. Thus, this migration leaves a gap in news organisations that cannot be easily filled. Gone are the person’s valuable experiences, advisory roles, leadership, news values, contacts, etc, things which cannot be easily replaced.  How is that related to a journalist be confrontational? For a journalist to be confrontational, he/she needs good advisors to guide the research, people who can be mentors, people who have experiences over decades, people who can sniff out a rat or see a problem a mile away - the kind of skills are not easily given but gained over the years.  As they leave, they also take their reputation, skills and credibility and leave the news organisation having very little to write or produce investigative stories. It is about time news media organisations pay journalists what they deserve and keep them on the job for longer periods.

Em tasol!

Sometimes life just seems so unfair.

Sometimes life just seems so unfair.

To be fair, would be to have love, to cherish it and to forever set your gaze upon it and know that it is physically present. To be fair, would be to know that your ‘wanblut’ would never be taken from your side. To be fair would be to have your spirit alive like a bright flame in pitch darkness, lighting up the way. To be fair, yes to be fair, is to be sure of when you will be called from this life to the next

Yes sometimes life can be unfair; to have the angels visit your doorstep. For the angels to visit your doorstep would be such a travesty but to be not ready for his calling would be the ultimate abomination. To have the life and spirit snuffed out while young is a reminder of the temporal existence we all share. We are reminded that we are mere mortals among the stars and as William Penn, the English philosopher put it: ‘For death is no more than a turning of us over from time to eternity’.

I lost a brother to cancer today. I love you Tony Nathaniel ‘Guran’ Abady. I admire you for your strength and courage even though you knew the end was near. I came to know you through your sister but I immediately liked you because of your spirit. You were such a good person, loved music and laughter and your humble heart always won you many friends. You will never be replaced. We have mental sights and sounds of you and they will always be in our hearts. You are loved a thousand times over till infinity.

Sometimes life just seems so unfair.

 

Tony Nathaniel Abady needs financial assistance to do a liver biopsy overseas

A young man desperately needs financial assistance to have a liver biopsy procedure in Australia.

He will need more than K50,000 to pay for the medical expenses, airfares to Brisbane, Australia and then chemotherapy.

Tony Nathaniel Abady, from Bogia District in Madang and now works for Boroko Motors in Port Moresby must go overseas to do a biopsy on his liver as this type of medical procedure is not done here in PNG. 

Tony Nathaniel Abady

According to Consultant Radiologist at the Pacific International Hospital, Dr. Pius Umo, who performed a CT Scan, Tony was diagnosed with a Primary Hepatocellular Carcinoma on his liver. His liver is enlarged at this stage but other major functions are stable. He will need to do a liver biopsy as the medical procedure will help assess the stage (early, advanced) of liver disease and infections. The procedure can also detect the cause of abnormal levels of liver enzymes that have been found in blood tests..

Tony’s family and relatives have already began raising funds in January this year. They have also opened a Trust Account #1010659033 with BSP at Wagani in Port Moresby and are now calling for assistance from the general public to help. The account name is Abady Tony Nathaniel Trust Account. 

More information can be sought from Ms. Naureen Mani on Digicel 70505648, Bmobile 76461510 or on the office line 3024518 or email: naureenm@borokomotors.com.pg. You can also contact Mr. Michael Asagoni on Digicel 71172555 or email: mrasagoni@gmail.com.

Tony is the son of Mr. Lawrence Abady Snr and Mrs. Roddy Abady, who were high school teachers in Malala Secondary and then Marianville Secondary School. He has three sisters and a younger brother. His sister, Thadreina Abady, a Senior Tutor at the Divine Word University has appeal to the general public to help her brother.

Ends.

Unclaimed Cargoes

Just saw in the Post Courier, dated Monday 4th Feb, 2013, an advert for the PNG Ports Corporation about unclaimed cargoes at the port in Port Moresby.
If consignees, shipping agents and cargo oweners who wished to claim ownership of these unclaimed cargoes would have to show the following documents:

• Original Copy of the Bill of Lading (BOL)
•  Customs Clearance Documents
•  Packing List
•  Cargo Invoice
•  Cargo Delivery Order
•  Permit to Land (PTL) for NAQIA

Well at least I learn't something today...lol

Creating artwork for adverts

Ok since me and my students will be venturing out into the Advertising world this year, I've already done artwork for an advertisment. I hope you like what I've done for Global Travel Centre. Oh and by the way, Im using Photoshop 7 to do these.

Work begins

Ok.
It took me 28 days to write my first post for 2013...wohoooh! ok yeah it sounds kind of lame to celebrate but dont you think its fun to be celebrating the start of ta new working year. But hey, this only comes once in my life so maybe i should be celebrating with a wild 'woohoo'.
Anyway, i filled in the Commencement Form but later found out that I had to fill out the 'Resumption Form'. The forms did look almost axactly alike....blah, blah. Well its all done and its now time to really get stuck into it. Im already getting my two units with HM, 1 unit with CA and then a two week intensive course with James Cook University. Its going to be hectic but at least I done all my units in the past two years. Its all good.
See you all!